1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of connectors for electrical conductors, particularly connectors of the plug-type utilizing connecting elements such as contacting posts, knife contacts, or pin contacts, which are inserted into a mating receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present plug-type electrical connectors have sleeves and pin-type connector elements which are locked into corresponding insulation bodies by forming a chamber in a body having walls which embrace the respective sleeve or connector element and form-locks it into the body. The chamber in the receptacle body must be fabricated to hold the receptacles and the chamber in the rating plug connector body must be fabricated differently to hold the plug connector element which has a configuration different from the configuration of the sleeve held in the receptacle body. Therefore, fabrication of the receptacle body and the mating plug connector body requires separate manufacturing steps using different tools. Special tools are also required for fabricating the sleeves and the connecting plugs. The cost of manufacturing connectors to the prior art are high, since separate operations and separate tools are required to produce the body of the receptacles and the body of the mating plug connectors. Storage and inventory costs are also high, since separate receptacle bodies and mating connector plug bodies must be stocked, increasing the total number of pieces in inventory.